Comment: This item will be picked, packed and shipped by Amazon and is eligible for free delivery within the UK

Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is a service Amazon offers sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon directly does the picking, packing, shipping and customer service on these items. Something Amazon hopes you'll especially enjoy: FBA items are eligible for and for Amazon Prime just as if they were Amazon items.

Groundbreaking author Brian McLaren, voice of the Christian emergent movement and author of the 'New Kind of Christian' series, poses ten controversial questions that could lead to a radical redefinition of the Christian faith. What is the overarching storyline of the Bible?What is the Gospel?Why is sexuality such a divisive issue among Christians?How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?McLaren gives his own responses to these questions, inviting the reader to a new and generous way of thinking about Christianity.

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Product description

Review

McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity is a stellar accomplishment, a combination of hard tack fact and unfettered hope, an overview in delightful narrative of the long way of our coming to this time and of the multiform ways of our arriving. In every way, a dispatch from the front, it is also a love-letter of sorts - a love letter from an affectionate, but seasoned pastor to those who would dare to believe, worship and serve not only now, but also beyond now, into the roiling, churning decades ahead. (Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence)

Just a few books capture and articulate the imagination, angst, hopes and aspirations of a generation, as Brian did in A New Kind of Christian. Almost ten years later, in A NEW KIND OF CHRISTIANITY, Brian lets us listen in to the key questions and conversations catalysed by his work that have taken place around the world since then. (Jason Clark, Deep Church)

Some books provide us with information about the world, but every once in a while a book appears that enables us to imagine new, more wonderful worlds. The book you hold in your hand is one of these. (Peter Rollins, Ikon)

Brian's writing is brave and honest, vulnerable and courageous, disturbing and unsettling, reassuring and hopeful. Every now and then you come across a book you've been waiting for. A New Kind of Christianity is that book. (Steve Chalke MBE)

Book Description

A provocative look at ten controversial questions that could lead to the radical transformation of Christianity

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

An evangelical discovers liberalism. Big deal? Well, it is for many disillusioned evangelicals who find their way to my church. This author is ideal for them as he starts where they are. So cynics like me need to be tolerant.

Chapter 5 has a good description of the general sweep of Romans, showing how it is inappropriate as a quarry for proof texting.

I had to look up ‘GED’ = General Educational Development, under-achiever.

I like his term "Fundasexuality".

I felt that the book kept on ending but then went in for more during the last 30 pages.

I am part of a theological ale drinking group of clergy that meet on a Sunday night in a pub over a pint or sometimes two of real ale.

When we suggested reading A new Kinda Christianity I almost refused on the grounds that my Evangelicalism had all but told me that Brian MacLaren was the anti-christ and deeply dangerous, to be avoided at all costs.

I had previously read a Generous Orthodoxy and found myself agreeing with him on the questions he was asking and also his observations. I then found myself warm to his possible direction of travel. But when it came to conclusions he then does a quantum leap into Liberalism...... too far sorry.

So this book was more of the same. Some of it hugely liberating and really helpful to me. I had been more and more conscious of the philosophical problems of the Augustinian Platonism that I had grown up with and was the bed rock of classical reformed evangelicalism. Especially the slightly (well quite a lot really) dodgy hermeneutical method and world view I had bought into for the last 26 years.

So Brian's book was well all pretty de-stabelising really... however what was exceptional about this book was that it left me believing in the Bible, Jesus, and the way of Kingdom of God being really good news to the world.... more than I had before.

However to my chagrin he then does His quantum link thingy and I go D'oh !!! Why do we have to go here ... So would I recommend it yes.... I think so.... yes, but not to everyone and not without reservations ...... if you are a reasonably mature believer and are able to go where the Bible takes you and stop there.... Then I would say yes read it.... As to Brian he isn't the baddy he is painted to be. On the contrary He is clearly a brother and a genuinely born again lover of Christ and man of God ... and the rest.... the conclusions if you can go there then fine personally not sure I can..... but well, Brian time will tell... Thanks for writing this, at least you are asking the important questions.

I found this book a gripping read, with very useful information in the footnotes. He argues for a more credible and useful approach to the Bible than what he calls the 'constitutional approach' to the Bible (the tendency in evangelical circles to see it as a doctrinal and rule-based book). He shows how throughout history many evangelicals have often been on the wrong side of the argument (e.g. those that argued that slavery was biblical) and that they may well be on the wrong side of current debates around human sexuality. He shows how fundamentalist fascination with the 'end times' is based on a misunderstanding of scripture. He argues for an inclusive faith based on working to establish the Kingdom of God (as proclaimed by Jesus) in the here and now , a mission that is fuelled by the confidence that the Kingdom is based on what is eternal. Within its scope it is brilliant, a book that would indeed transform the faith if only it was read widely and with an open mind. It wonderfully dismantles fundamentalism and challenges the limitations of conservative interpretations of Christianity. Brilliant as it is (and my summary has not done justice to its brilliance), there are a number of limitations of scope that have held me back from giving it five stars. First, Brian says little that liberals have not recognised decades ago (and that I realised a couple of decades ago). The main difference is that Brian avoids getting caught up in issues around the literal nature of miracles etc, exactly what the historical Jesus said, which New Testament letters were genuinely written by Paul etc - the kind of issues that Bishop Spong addresses in books such as 'Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism'. He seems to believe that compared to the issues he has raised, the kind of issues biblical scholars debate in their books are relatively minor. He is probably right on this, but not everyone will see it that way. Certainly his dismantling of fundamentalism might be more effective if he emphasised more the contradictions in a literal reading of the Bible. Second, many of the problems he identifies are transcended if one approaches Christianity from a mystical perspective - to the mystic it is obvious that Christianity is about the journey of dying to the ego, and and discovering the Source of life that makes awareness possible, rather than being about rules and theological doctrines. A mystic approach, to me, explains better what Christianity has to offer (saving us from the ego identification with separation, and finding our true selves in the eternal Wholeness) than the liberal build-a-better-society approach that Brian seems to propose (not that the two approaches are mutually exclusive, but a lot of what Brian proposes could equally be proposed by a compassionate humanist). Third, he does not challenge the ego's need for security in the way that Peter Rollins for example, does in 'Insurrection' and 'The Idolatry of God', Sooner or later the exploration of transforming the faith has to address whether Christianity offers security or instead dismantles the ego's need for it. The answer to this question will determine the shape of Christianity in the decades and centuries to come. But these limitations of scope are a minor issue in what is an excellent challenge to the Christian community. Whereas some evangelicals have - in response to emerging challenges - simply tried to add some modern rhetoric and greater compassion for the poor on top of their belief structures, Brian invites the believer to let go of what they have been clinging to, so as to advance into new territory (territory which, I believe, is not really new but a genuine expression of the kingdom/ realm/ system / society proclaimed by Jesus 2,000 years ago).